Automatic weir for regulating the flow of water.



E. .1. HUFF. AUTOMATIC WEIR FOB REGULAT|NG THE FILOW 0F WATER APPLlcAnoN FILED'MAR. I6. 19u.

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E. J. HOFF. AUTOMATIC WEIR FOR REGULATING THEYYFLOW 0F WATER. APPLICATION FILED MAII. I6. 1911.

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' J. HOFF. AUTOMATIC WEIR IFOB REGULATNG THE FLOW 0F WATER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I6.. 19|?.

LMSIHMI I I Mente@ Im. '23, 1918.

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Enwaizna'. Horn or* BERKELEY, CALIFcanta,` j I i Specicationof LettersPatent.

AU'DQMATQ WEIRFOR REGULATING THE` FLOW CIF WATER.

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` Application lediMarch 1G, 1917. SeriallNo. 155,357;

@Eme-Aran 'ro man rustic.)

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it kno-,wn that I,` EDWARD J.I Hora a citizen of the United frita-tes,I and an employee of the` Department of Agriculture of the United States of America, residing at Berkeley, in the State of Cal-iforniznl (whose post-office address is` Budd IIa-ll, Univ. of Cal., Berkeley, Gal.,) have invented a new and. useful Automatic Weir for lategulatin-g the Flow of l/Vater.

This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, chapter 143 (22 Stat., 625), and the invention herein described and claimed may be used by the Government of the United Statesor any of its oflicers or employees in the prosecution of work for the Government, or any person in the United States, without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus which is simple in construction and operation and which is specially adapted for accurately regulating the flow of irrigation water, thereby providing means whereby the farmer may be enabled properly to apportion his water supply to his field. I

The objects, characteristic features and scope of my invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same lookin down stream with curtain on;

Iig. 3 is a vertical sectional view thereof,

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device.

Referring to the drawings, A represents e framework of the rectangular weir which may be constructed of any suitable material, preferably of wood. A partition, B, extends from one side of the interior of the framework, A, to the other, having an opening, C, in its upper portion, through which the water flows upon passing from the weir; small rods, 0, are secured in the partition, B, at its lower edge and extending upwardly through the opening, C, and are secured atthe top to a horizontal, preferably metal, bar. In each side of the frame work, A, andvadjacent to the junction of said framework, A, and the partition, B,

are slots, D, arranged sides of the said Framework, A,` said boxes, E, having removable tops, F. Arranged the boxes E, are floats, G, through which passrods, H, said lower i ends-` hooks, support the ends qf the roller, I, said roller, I,` extending through` the slots, D, and; crossr wise the entire width of the interior of said framework, and the said rods, H, being threaded at their upper ends to engage screw nuts, 0, by means of which the distance between the top of the curtain and the plane of the floats can be increased or diminished.

Secured to the partition, B, beneath the opening, C, is a flexible curtain, J, the free end of which is thrown over the roller, I, which isV itself the free end below the water surface. The ballast can be adjusted so that friction at the roller end bearings is reduced to a mini-V mum. Y will, by produce roller, I.

Adjusted to the said weir in any suitable manner near the entrance thereof, is a rod grating, K, pivotally attached at its upper end to the sides of the framework and extending obliquely downward into the weir so that its lower end will pass slightly beneath the surface of the water, which serves the purpose of preventing dbris from enter ing the weir and clogging it..

In practising my invention, itis merely necessary to install the weir, when constructed in the manner hereinbefore described, in any irrigation ditch. 'Ihe water from said source enters the weir, and, upon rising therein to a height where it reaches the bottom of the slots, D, flows through said slots he least change in the water level raising or lowering Vthe floats, G, a like change in the position of the Y Se as to'communicate with the vertical boxes, E, fastened to, the

rods, H, havingl atjv ,their N, to engage andimovably a float and ballasted to hold Y into the boxes, E, coming in contact with the water is allowed to be discharged through the opening, C, irrespective of. the volume of water flowinginto the weir.

From the foregoing, it is lthought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construc- 'tionwmay be resorted to without departing from the-spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:l Y

A weir of the character described, comf 'prising a rectangular framework provided with a partition extending crosswise its i11- terior and having boxes on the exterior of the sides thereof, slots in the sides of said framework for forming a passageway to said boxes and an opening in the upper portion of said partition, {ioats arranged in said boxes for supporting a roller extending through said slots crosswise the interior of the Weir and a flexible curtain having one end secured to said partition and its free end overlapping said roller for automatically regulating the flow of water, substantially as specied.

In testimony whereof, I alix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD J. HOFF. Witnesses:

W. B. MURRAY, WELLS A. HUToHINs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

